How does that sound for the land of the free and home of the brave? Are you feeling like the most powerful country in the world today?
A new report is out today and you can read about it over here:
economic times
plug your nose and follow me below the fold
Paging Dr Gupta: some truthiness from the text of the article:
A baby born in the United States in 2004 will live an average of 77.9 years. The life expectancy now ranks 42nd, down from 11th two decades earlier, according to international numbers provided by the Census Bureau and domestic numbers from the National Centre for Health Statistics.
Also of note is the infant mortality rate droping to 40th over all:
The report published in The Washington Post says that forty countries, including Cuba, Taiwan and most of Europe had lower infant mortality rates than the US in 2004. The US rate was 6.8 deaths for every 1,000 live births. It was 13.7 for Black Americans, the same as Saudi Arabia.
Have you had enough? Are you ready for single payer? You can read more about how single payer would work here:
single payer info
or
Physicians for a National Health Program
In my state of Ohio we have a group working hard to get single payer on a state wide ballot.
Span Ohio
This news is dreadful. Where is the national outrage?
I believe Michael Moore has framed the debate perfectly. Everyone be they a Democrat, Republican, Independent, or Green should care about the quality of health care in this country. This opens up the most important debate we can have in this country right now. Do we want to follow the idea that government is bad and that there is nothing that government can do that private companys can't do better?
This is THE winning issue in which we demonstrate that government is better able to serve the citizens of this country than corporstions when it comes to things like health care coverage. There are some things that we must do as a society and can not trust to corporations. The overhead skimmed off by companies like UHP, Etna, BlueCross BlueShield etc. is something like 30% industry wide while medicare clips along at about 3-5% administrative cost. The 5% number is about what you find when you look at other countries that provide care for all citizens with single payer or some similar system.
Do we really want to continue to watch our health rankings drop into the depths of third world countries while 25 cents of every dollar is going to pay for excessive CEO salaries, record shareholder profits, and a bureaucratic army of paper pushers who's sole job is to deny claims at a rate of 10% so they can get a bonus? Do you cringe and shake your fist when you see those fancy buildings where these people work? I do!
Spread the word Kosacks! Get active! I think This is THE winning issue!